


Koko

by stormy_wheather



Series: Domestic Life Of Avatar Kyoshi [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi
Genre: Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Rise of Kyoshi, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26489269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormy_wheather/pseuds/stormy_wheather
Summary: Story of how Koko made her way into Kyoshi and Rangi's lives, followed by some sappy Kyoshi and Rangi parenting. I like to think there's a plot to this one, but over all its just Kyoshi and Rangi making major life decisions.
Relationships: Koko & Kyoshi (Avatar), Koko & Rangi (Avatar), Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Series: Domestic Life Of Avatar Kyoshi [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954036
Comments: 31
Kudos: 146





	1. Rangi Talks In Her Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> There will be more chapters.

It was one of the few things Kyoshi truly loved, to hear Rangi’s voice beside her.

It wasn’t until they were able to routinely sleep beside one another she was able to discover that Rangi spoke through her more dream-filled sleeps. 

It was only every once in a while, when Kyoshi would lie awake in thoughts that would break with Rangi’s rasped voice and mutterings. What started as a word or phrase would grow to statements and warnings, commands and questions. Rangi’s voice would cue Kyoshi into details about the dreams she was having and tug the string to her heart that only she held. It only got more endearing when Kyoshi realized she could talk back to the sleeping Rangi, and pry for more details. 

Rangi would insult her in her sleep on some nights, calling her “rocks for brains” for not realizing the dire situation in her subconscious. Other nights she would reach out for her hand, lace her fingers through it and simply say she loves her, it would make Kyoshi’s heart flutter the same way it would when she was awake, until Rangi of course would have to warn her about the flying Lemur that stole her freckles or something worse, that her mother was coming to ground her for staying out too late again. Kyoshi either way could reassure her she was there and that a thieving flying lemur was no match for the avatar. Telling her they were married adults however, never seemed to settle her the same way. 

It got to the point where Kyoshi couldn’t resist immortalizing the brief conversations. In a small leather bound journal she kept under her bed mat, she wrote them down with dates and times as they came. While not truly a secret, she wanted to keep it to herself for selfish reasons, worrying Rangi finding out would somehow break the streak. She collected these moments like little knick knacks and reminders there was still good in this world, they belonged to her. 

That was until a little past midnight while Kyoshi remained awake against Rangi’s better wishes to catch up on reading letters from correspondents in the air temples. Rangi who had been dozing beside her gripped the side of her robe. Kyoshi immediately discarded the letters to the side and got her journal ready, Day 11,736 of the Era of Avatar Kyoshi, Past Midnight. She wrote quickly at the top of a new page. Rang stirred and tugged her robes just a bit. 

“Yoshi..” she muttered breathily. 

Words of more than three syllables rarely made it out clean. 

“Yes my love” she said back, while tracing the last figure of her name against the page.

“Where is she..” she whispered softly with a hint of worry in her voice.

“Where is who?” Kyoshi replied as her pen scratched the pages. Rangi looked as though the conversation would end on that note, her lips parted again, 

“Our baby...” she muttered, her hand twitching for Kyoshi’s. 

Kyoshi was stricken, she couldn’t will herself to write down what she heard. To be truthful the request seemed so simple and sincere she doubted whether Rangi was actually asleep. Kyoshi panicked, “Rangi we can't have one of those.” she replied “You’ve got too poor a temper.” 

Rangi scowled in her sleep. “You're so mean to me.” she said in a tone that was almost whining. Kyoshi sighed with relief, and after weighing the options she had, she decided to write down the last bit of conversation just in case this matter of discussion would arise again. She let Rangi’s hand wrap around her wrist. 

“The harvest spirit...is gonna get us one.” Rangi said affirmatively, bringing Kyoshi’s palm to her cheek. Kyoshi put her thumb beneath Rangi’s chin just to tease her, but the action backfired. Rangi’s eyes opened and she looked up at Kyoshi with a glowing anger. Kyoshi may as well have woken up a dragon. 

“Have you been awake this whole time?” she sneered, coming in consciousness, as if the tender moment never existed. Kyoshi had no words to defend herself as she continued “You need to sleep, you barely take care of yourself when I’m here I can't imagine what hours you stay up till when I'm gone.” she berated as she sat up. Kyoshi shrugged and grinned seeing if she could recapture the sweetened version of Rangi that slept beside her 

“I am sorry I just-“ she stammered. 

Rangi reached over Kyoshi and picked up the sacred journal. “What could you even be doing that’s more important at this hour, you know messenger hawks sleep too.” Instinctively Kyoshi grabbed the book from her hands and held it away.

“Rangi I swear it's fine you don’t need to-“ she was cut off by Rangi’s hand in her face as she reached over to grab the journal

“If it's keeping you up it is a threat to your safety and as your bodyguard..” Kyoshi could only keep up the futile resistance for a few more moments before the journal was in Rangi’s possession again. Rangi sat at the top of Kyoshi lap with the book in her fingers. Kyoshi groaned as Rangi smirked, “This better be important. '' she said opening up to a random page. She tilted her head as she read it. Then looked back down at Kyoshi’s dumb crooked smile. 

“Is this code?” she asked. 

“It's just a journal I have been keeping.” she replied 

“But the dates, the phrases, it's complete nonsense,” she said quietly, paging through. 

“You should be able to explain them.” Kyoshi replied. Rangi began to look more confused than angry. “You talk in your sleep Rangi” she confessed “And I have been keeping a journal of the things you say.” 

Rangi, cheeks took on a light rose color. “I do not.” she scolded but all the determination in her voice had vanished, it came out defensive like a taunted child.

Kyoshi sat herself up on her elbows and grinned with her head tilted, “No you do, I even talk to you sometimes. That’s where I write the things you say down” she replied, taking a strand of her hair and curling it between her fingers, “You're a total softie too, always worried someone is gonna steal your honor.” she whispered, her face getting a little closer to hers. Rangi shut her eyes in embarrassment. Kyoshi held her hips just a bit more tightly before Rangi pulled her face away slightly and looked down at her. 

“That’s really cute you write it all down,” she stated “But I need you to get sleep too.” she said softly, bringing her hand to Kyoshi’s face and placing the softest kiss on her hairline. She could feel Kyoshi was dissatisfied with her reaction. 

“You know this also means I am going to have to mess with you” Rangi added with a smirk, pulling back “You made a mistake telling me.” she continued. Kyoshi’s face returned back to being tiredly happy,

“It’s worth it.'' She said softly, Rangi lifted her one knee from the side that pinned Kyoshi down, she instead wrapped it between Kyoshi’s legs as she laid onto her chest, her arm stretching across her stomach and pulling her closer. 

“Your gonna regret that.” she muttered as she shut her eyes again. The hold was a cheap tactic to ensure Kyoshi would at least try to sleep through the night. She was more than familiar with the trick. A few moments passed in the embrace. 

“Oh and Kyoshi.” Rangi began against her chest before being interrupted by a yawn.

Kyoshi had begun to run her fingers down the back of her head “Yes?” she asked 

“Don’t call me poor tempered again.”

Rangi was fully asleep before Kyoshi could respond, she settled for pulling her closer to her face and nestling her nose into her hair. She smiled, the thought of it was enough for now. 

~ 

It was hours later that same evening, Rangi had untied herself from Kyoshi and the two slept with only a slight brushing of limbs against one another. Kyoshi woke up to Rangi muttering again. Kyoshi, who had been sleeping on her stomach, lifted her head up attop her arms to listen. 

Rangi was on her back, arms outstretched, with a mischievous expression on her face. Her lips parted with that same raspy voice. 

“I want you..” she muttered softly, Kyoshi raised and eyebrow 

“Rangi we are in a tent, there’s people around” Kyoshi said as she rose to balance on her elbows and pet the top of her hair gently “And you're asleep.” 

Rangi nose twitched, her smirk peering through, “But your water bending.” Kyoshi was really confused now 

“What about my water bending” she pried, she wished she hadn’t. 

“Kirima...” 

Kyoshi's eyes opened wide, her breath stopped and she was unaware that it would ever start again. She sat up straight, unable to respond, until she saw Rangi's chest rise and fall holding back laughter, she smiled with her teeth, her one eye peered open to peak at Kyoshi’s reaction. Relief and embarrassment all rushed to Kyoshi all at once, she couldn’t help but laugh as well

“You worthless Little-“ Kyoshi said , wrapping her hands around Rangi's wrist. She was cut off by the sound of Rangi’s unconfined laughter, She curled up without even trying to contain how gleeful Kyoshi’s misery was to her. 

“I told you!” she rang out, looking up at her, she had begun to rise to Kyoshi’s face. Kyoshi could barely meet her eyes without smiling, the teasing was everything to her.

“Why Kirima?” she asked “Why'd it have to be her?” Kyoshi pleaded desperately. Rangi raised an eyebrow and pulled Kyoshi closer 

“Kyoshi, You are the love of my life I would never leave you not even in my dreams..” she leaned in to whisper into her ear seductively, 

“But I bet Kirimia is a top..” 

Kyoshi was done, taking Rangi by the waist she threw her off balance and she landed flat on her back, Kyoshi held both of her wrists above her head, “I will show you..” 

Rangi rolled her eyes and kicked Kyoshi's leg out from beneath her, Kyoshi lost the grip on her wrists and fell on top of her. She instead took the opportunity to wrap her arm around Rangi’s neck and up her back, she laid her body against hers, situated on top of Rangi nose to nose. Kyoshi ran a few kisses down her jawline and neck, and then settled for lying her head on her chest, and squeezing her in a tight constricting motion. 

“Kyoshi...” Rangi breathed out as Kyoshi held her tighter “I don’t think being a top literally means that-“ 

“Be quiet, You have compromised my honor, Now I am suffocating you” She replied 

“Your honor or your self esteem?” Rangi said back. 

“Both.” Kyoshi replied, muffled by Rangi’s robe. She felt arms wrap around her neck and a set of fingertips delicately scratching and tracing intricate designs on her back. Suddenly sleep was her life’s only desire. She turned her face out of her chest, the top of her head pressing against Rangi’s chin. 

“I love you Kyoshi” Rangi said 

“I love you too Rangi.” Kyoshi responded.


	2. A Glowing Green Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Took a week but the next chapter is already written so it should be out soon.

It felt as though the moment Kyoshi had fallen asleep, the first bit of morning sun began peering its way between the cracks in the tent. It glittered in her blinking eyes as she raised her head from the nook of Rangi’s neck and chest. Rangi’s asleep hand was still tangled in her hair. Assessing the situation, she decided to remain nestled there a little while longer. After all, Rangi was a fire bender, she would rise when the sun did, it was only a few minutes between that Kyoshi had to fill, lying there refusing to move. 

She pressed her head against Rangi’s chin once more, closed her eyes, and thought about what the day would bring. Originally she thought about the holdout of villages still loyal to Chin that need persuading to fall back under the rule of the earth king. The thought put a bad taste in her mouth, she and Rangi were implementing another leader’s law, though in her mind she could justify liberating a people from their tyrant was not in opposition to her and Rangi’s code, the lines of this had blurred the past few months. More and more as they traveled across the earth Kingdom cities they saw less military hold out camps, and more villages quietly rejecting a king that let them starve and suffer through the decades. 

Kyoshi would refuse further action in these cases, leaving dissent to grow for the authorities of the Earth Kingdom to sort out. She needed more to establish a source of accountability among the leaders, one that prevented a mere draining of conquerors and their sympathizers. It all wracked her with the feeling she wasn’t truly needed here. 

Rangi stirred and sighed, the feeling of her breath fluttered against Kyoshi’s eyelashes. Rangi’s nose tipped into her hair, she could feel her still lips on her forehead. Kyoshi looked up at Rangi, her thought process taking a sharp turn. She wondered about what she was thinking, what thoughts she was mulling over to present to her. She wondered especially whether the dream she had last night came from a place of sincerity, whether or not Rangi truly was waiting for a child. 

Kyoshi took a few minutes in her own mind to entertain the thought. She pictured Rangi, pacing the floors of their home on Kyoshi island, exhaustedly holding a crying bundle in her hands to coax it to sleep. Maybe there would also be an evening during a cold snowy winter where Rangi stood in the doorway with their baby wrapped in blankets. Maybe Kyoshi would come back in from the outside, walk up to them, wrap her arms around the two and feel warm with snowflakes glittering her hair. She also, If she looked at Rangi asleep could almost feel a small hand wrap around her finger. It was a nice little daydream to have. Kyoshi adjusted herself, bringing her eyes at level with Rangi. She wanted to see what she could find out and didn’t feel like waiting for the sun to rise. 

She delicately stroked her face. Rangi clenched her fist, tugging Kyoshi’s hair slightly as she worked her fingers out from the tangles with half-awake precision. 

“What... Why are you up so early ...” she groaned as her fingers freed themselves. “Do you ever sleep?” 

“It's five minutes till sunrise,” Kyoshi responded in defense. 

“Five minutes too early” she shot back, closing her eyes again. 

“Rangi I think we need to talk..” 

“We did that last night” she mumbled, sifting down and pressing her head to Kyoshi’s chest, she was really holding on to those last few minutes. Kyoshi decided to drop it as Rangi fell back asleep. 

Kyoshi blinked as she laid there awake for the next few minutes. Just as predicted in the next few moments, Rangi stretched, yawned, and rose, putting on her uniform and armor without a moment's hesitation more. As she laced her boots she looked at Kyoshi still on her back and rolled her eyes. 

Rangi walked over to her, and stood beside her head, Gently nudging her shoulder with her boot, “I thought you wanted to stay awake.” she said, looking down at her. 

“I had wanted to stay awake and tease you.” Kyoshi said, “But you have too rigid a sleep schedule.” 

“Forget sleep schedules'' Rang said kneeling back down. “Actions have consequences, You stayed up all night, and now you are going to see what happens,” she said as she reached down, Kyoshi looked at her hand with some disdain she grasped it begrudgingly. 

The two rose, finishing up their dressing and heating their breakfast, which Kyoshi merely picked at it, seeing if she could get Rangi’s attention regarding what she wanted to talk about. She didn’t, she just got scolded. Maybe Rangi would make a good mother. 

The day followed with a usual routine of checking the status of towns, sending out notices for those displaced by armies for their families to find them, and other trivial matters. That was until the two were actually in the so-called enemy town. It was like many others, dirt poor and shuddering beneath the avatar's feet. The moment Kyoshi stepped into the courtyard she paused, her nose twitched to the smell of burnt wood, there was a building there, set ablaze last night in protest. She pressed her teeth together, Rangi saw this and followed directly behind her. The two walked towards the building, it still radiating heat as they stepped inside, Rangi directly behind her. 

Somehow she could feel something inside the structure, it could have been a vengeful spirit that wanted her attention or an assassin plotted there for her bounty from the Chin dynasty. But it was something much worse, The dust began to clear, ashes were slew about the structure, embers of the rafters glowed even after the fire was out. Those innocent had ran, and the ones that fought were defeated, but It wasn’t over, Kyoshi could feel another presence. 

“Make sure everyone is out of here that doesn’t want to burn down with the place,” she said sternly, in case anyone was listening. Rangi nodded and got moving. 

Kyoshi stepped over the wreckage, the smell of smoke filled her lungs, she kept her hand close to her fan if the need came to draw it. Her steps creaked as she walked down the dark hallway, a sudden moment of existentialism setting in. She thought it had to be in her head, she was alone here.

That was until she heard one of the more heart-wrenching sounds of human suffering, a child was bitterly coughing. She stepped towards the sound carefully around the corner hallway to a long green scarf stretched out on the ground. A small hand wiped a set of pale green eyes that glew in the dark and looked up at Kyoshi unafraid. She knelt beside the tangle of cloth and outstretched her hand. Most children saw the red eyes of the spirit and were terrified. They often coward behind their parents and kept a distance. 

This child was indifferent to her and starred like Kyoshi was a spirit herself, but there wasn’t time to gain trust, Kyoshi took her from the corner gently, discarding the scarf she was tangled in, she was small enough Kyoshi’s two hands could wrap around her entire body. She held her in her arms as she stood up. Despite the two being strangers, the girl gripped her collar tightly and pressed her face to her chest. Kyoshi pressed her closer with her other hand almost instinctively. 

Kyoshi walked out with her to see Rangi already waiting, her expression of shock somehow showing through her makeup. “Kyoshi is that?” she began. 

“An orphan.” she stated back “And she is sick” she continued. 

“Let's get her to a medic then,” Rangi said immediately, Kyoshi nodded, abandoning the task at hand immediately to get her to medical the tent. The two dropped the entire mission and Rangi went with her to Ataut, who took the girl from Kyoshi. The orphan hardly was willing to let go, even going as far as to take grips Kyoshi’s on the neck, she never realized how tight a child could hold onto something, it seems she would have had an easier time tearing off one of her limbs. 

“She seemed to like you,” Rangi said with a smirk, heading back into their tent.

Kyoshi shrugged, taking off her gloves and grabbing a cloth to remove her makeup, “Guess she did.” Kyoshi said blankly. The two went through their routine of taking off the powders. Rangi’s was nearly gone, to begin with, she walked over to Kyoshi placing her hand on her forearm, coaxing her to look into her eyes, The black outline wasn’t all the way gone. It gave her eyes a smudged, sad look despite her glowing smile, Her baby hairs pressed against her face being held by the liquid in the wipes. 

“What’s the matter?” Kyoshi said softly 

Rangi pressed her hand more firmly against Kyoshi’s arm. She looked up at Kyoshi, “I am a bit worried about the girl at all, I am worried about you too.” Rangi said. Kyoshi was surprised, taking a bit of Rangi’s hair and twirling it between her fingers.

“I think it might be a good idea to take another look around, see if we can figure out anything about where she came from,” Kyoshi stated. Rangi raises her eyebrows in suspicion. 

“And what about you?” she asked intently.

Kyoshi breathed in “I don’t know enough yet to be upset, but she seemed different” 

Rangi regained her gaze “Different how?” Rangi asked. 

“I don’t know,” Kyoshi said. Rangi was dissatisfied with the answer and seeing Kyoshi even mildly upset filled her with determination. 

“Let's look around the place to see if we can find out,” Rangi replied. Kyoshi nodded.

~ 

The hallway that Kyoshi led Rangi through smelt like rotting wood and the dawn had seeped all the light from the building. With no embers to shape the falling structures into vision, all that could be seen would be three feet in front of the torch Rangi bent with her fingers. It illuminated the discarded green scarf like a piece of fine jade. “This is where I found her,” Kyoshi said. Rangi bent down, and pulled the scarf towards her, wrapping it in her free hand.

“This is it?” she asked, Kyoshi nodded

“That's all she had with her,” she responded. Rangi held the scarf up to her light, examining every thread, probably going down a checklist of tracking lessons she had learned at the academy trying to deduce something. There was a thread of gold that gave it its iridescent shine, a color that matched Rangi’s eyes. 

She pressed it to her face and as a final measure smelt it, and pulled it away “All I can tell is that this scarf was expensive, seeming the gold lace it was probably imported from somewhere, other then that nothing” she said handing it to Kyoshi’s, who folded it and held it in her hand. 

“Just a family heirloom?” she asked, Rangi made a face that confirmed her suspicion and shrugged. 

“From the looks of it a dragon stork might have dropped her here for someone,” she said sarcastically, to slightly ease the tension. 

The realization came over Kyoshi like a plague, seeing the silk scarf in front of her made her forehead burn. She could feel the imprint of the girl across her chest, as she realized the connection she felt “She isn’t an orphan then.” she stated firmly, “She was abandoned''. She pulled the scarf out again, looked at it the same way she did the first time she saw her mother's fans, the shadow of past abandonment seeped into her skin for the first time in years. Rangi saw what she was worried about, and pulled her in by her arm into a consoling embrace. She moved her hand to hold Kyoshi's face and bring her closer to her. the torch she had been holding was released. In total darkness she held her. 

It was a few moments before Kyoshi tried to let go, that Rangi pulled her tighter. She sighed “Rangi I am alright now-“ Rangi dug her nails into her shoulders and Kyoshi fell silent, listening as well. There was a creaking in the floorboards, quiet enough to be masked by the sound of a breathing torch. Rangi felt down Kyoshi’s shoulder to her hand and held it, walking in front of her for cover. She outstretched her hand and breathed slowly, letting a spark dance from her fingertip to the floor.

The spark bounced and illuminated the ground. A set of brown paws emerged into the light carrying a small piece of parchment on the floor that had not been there before, Rangi bent down, picked it up, and slid it into her boot. Upon standing she grabbed Kyoshi’s arm tightly. 

“It was just the fox, let's leave,” she said sternly, still holding Kyoshi’s arm, the two fled making their way to the twilight sky of the courtyard in minutes.


	3. Room For A Third

Kyoshi sat on the steps, the fox curled up beside her with its wet nose pressed against the back of her leg. She held her head in her hands and dropped her shoulders, feeling a tightness all across her body. Rangi moved in biting the inside of her cheek as she peered down at her.

“You are not okay.” Rangi stated as she stood above her.

Kyoshi ignored the question “What does the letter say?” Kyoshi demanded, refusing to meet her gaze and burying the side of her face into her arm.

Rangi wrapped her hand around Kyoshi’s shoulder and gave it a hard reassuring hold. Kyoshi lifted her head from her hands. Rangi wasn’t going to be ignored, not twice today. She didn’t even need to ask what was wrong.

“I hate being here.” Kyoshi stated blankly “This isn’t Avatar work, this isn’t balancing anything it's aiding the law its-“

“Violating our code” Rangi finished. Kyoshi wanted to leave her body, Rangi agreeing made almost no difference to the shame she felt, it merely collectivized it. She was losing her identity as the avatar, and taking Rangi along with her. She couldn’t bring herself to seek solace in Rangi and settled for running her fingers through the foxes scruff to collect herself.

“I don’t know what we can do though.” Kyoshi responded, “But I don’t want to be here anymore, It’s not right.” Rangi shrugged and leaned back, kicking one of her legs over the other, seeming more relaxed than she should be considering the subject matter.

“I think we should just bail, Leave a note saying we will be back on full time avatar duty in twenty years when there isn’t all this busy work, Also that your welcome for stopping the invasion of the earth Kingdom” Rangi said, When she was younger that would have been heresy for her. It was almost comical now, to say she was just merely over their exploits in the earth Kingdom and wanted to go home.

Kyoshi couldn’t help but laugh, “Could imagine what we could do with a twenty year vacation” Kyoshi said, her smile returning for the first time since she met the girl. Rangi took her hand and enfolded her fingers through it, resting her head on her shoulder.

“We would get sick of each other, just the two of us,” Rangi said, pressing her face closer.

Kyoshi paused for a moment, seeing the opportunity again, “Well it's a big island, maybe it doesn’t have to be just the two of us.” Kyoshi said, finally trying to get answers regarding Rangi’s dream.

Rangi smirked and deflected, “You think Kirimia would be our third?” She responded jokingly, just to annoy her, nevertheless providing an unwanted image in Kyoshi’s mind.

Kyoshi quickly unwrapped her finger from Rangi hands and fully extended her arm, pushing her hard against the shoulders, playfully knocking her away a considerable distance, just to make sure she didn’t get the chance to see the look on her face. Rangi caught herself and sprang back and didn’t complain knowing she probably deserved it. She sat about a foot away from Kyoshi and began smiling a little nervously, her thumb pressed into her hand in place of Kyoshi’s as she sat alone.

For a moment she paused, looking at Kyoshi in a new light from the side. The smile fell slightly, her eyes still steady as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Kyoshi,” She began quietly

Kyoshi looked over at her, Rangi could hardly meet her eyes.

“I know by some stand points its not possible, and that the Earth Kingdom press will have a field day with it, and I know that it would take you away from avatar duty for a good long while and I honestly don’t know if it just because I miss sleeping in a bed or if I really want this with you but..” She paused, closed her eyes and grew strength in her lungs. Kyoshi wondered if she ever intended on breathing freely again, a few moments of her holding her breath passed, She opened her eyes back up.

“I think I want a baby.” she said exasperated. “And I want to raise it with you, and do all those little domestic things I never thought I wanted before falling in love with you” Rangi said quietly. It was silent for a moment, she nodded as if to check with herself that she had said all she needed to say.

Rangi turned to Kyoshi, waiting with impatient eyes for a response. Kyoshi took a few moments, Rangi glanced at her once and her eyes darted away, unable to gauge her reaction.

Kyoshi looked at her up and down, and smiled a little bit, “Okay.” she said simply. 

Rangi looked at her intensely for some other type of opposition. “Okay?” she asked, almost edging on frustration.

“I want one too” she said softly as if the answer would always be that simple and obvious. Rangi’s eyes still didn’t seem to believe her, so she made it a bit more practical with pictures that her daydreams were manifesting all day, 

“Preferably a daughter. Who has my eyes and temper, and in every other way is exactly like you.” She continued.

Rangi collected herself, the idea finally starting to seep in, a little bit her smile coming back to her face, “she can have your eyes but I am not raising our daughter to be a little pushover.” Rangi responded back, just a hint in her voice that she still didn’t quite believe the conversation they were having. 

Kyoshi smiled, “No one gonna mess with her because they will know who her moms are.” she said back, opening her arm for Rangi to sit under once again. 

“You really mean that?” she asked intently. Kyoshi turned to look at her.

“I do,” Kyoshi said with more honesty than she ever said anything in her life.

Rangi fell silent, her fingers pressed into her forearm one after the other. Kyoshi took her face by the chin, and for a moment Rangi’s eyes had that same nervous anticipation as they did that night by the lake. Kyoshi took a moment to memorize her face once more in this light. Rangi looked like she wanted to melt into her. She settled for a dry, almost sad laugh to break the starring. 

“What's so funny?” Kyoshi asked, smiling. Rangi’s eyes held a hint of embarrassment as she took Kyoshi's hand in her and away from her chin.

“I have been having dreams about wanting a baby for the past year” she began, she had to look out for a moment, soaking in the ridiculousness of the situation, “I never could find the right time to tell you that. I don’t think I was brave enough.” she said softly, there was a little bit of strain in her voice.

“Well you did before.” Kyoshi noted,

“Don’t tell me..” Rangi began, her face flushed with guilt and embarrassment.

“Last night.” she said teasingly.

Rangi groaned, “That’s why you woke me this morning.” She said, placing her hands to her face and shaking her head. “And I blew you off for five minutes of sleep.” she said, staring at her feet.

Kyoshi's thumb rubbed a few circles into her back, “I think you can make it up to me.” she said, bringing her hand across her back softly. Her arm reached further down her till it rested on her waist. Rangi leaned further into Kyoshi.

Kyoshi grinned, “Check the letter.” She said softly.

Rangi pulled it from her boot, and carefully broke the red seal, Opening it closely and deliberately between them. There was no message, just an outdated flyer for the festival of the Harvest spirit. Rangi looked to Kyoshi as her hand clasped over hers, pulling it from the flyer they turned to each other, a realization in both of their eyes.

“Do you think?” she asked softly, “Do you think this is about the girl?” Rangi pressed

“I don’t know” she said Kyoshi said trying to contain herself “maybe we should find out?”

“We should,” Rangi said as she took her by the hand and swung it as she stood, the swaying motion of Kyoshi's stance followed by Rangi’s backward gait almost made her feel like she was dancing. The fox crocked its head and followed not too far behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all liked the Kirima jokes.


	4. Embers Of Hope.

The two walked through the camp before coming upon the medical tent that housed the sick girl to find, none other than Jinpa standing outside. The three were puzzled seeing each other all there. 

“We are here to check on the girl.” Kyoshi said firmly to her old secretary who had taken more of a managerial role in the exploits of the team, Flowing back and forth where he was needed most as the time went on. Apparently this evening he was requested to stand guard for the nurse. 

“Ataut is not allowing visitors at this time” He said with more formality than the three of them had shared in a while. 

“Why not?” Kyoshi interjected, suspicion turning into a slight frustration with him. “Is she contagious?” Kyoshi pried. Jinpa didn’t respond quickly enough, Kyoshi’s brow furrowed as she continued to interrogate. 

“We carried her 2 Miles back here from town, If she’s in quarantine we should be too.” She continued.

Jinpa stuttered, a whiteness setting into his skin as questions and valid logic were fired at him that he had no proper responses too. At least not one, that he had the heart to give to his friends. 

“Avatar Kyoshi I don’t-“ 

“What is it you can tell me” she professed, Jinpa was completely frozen. Kyoshi was silent for a moment, waiting to hear a response before speculating a reason they couldn’t see her. 

Rangi grasped her arm in the grim realization before it hit Kyoshi, “Is she..” Her words preceded the possibility in her mind. Her eyes narrowed, Jinpa’s terrified expression confirmed her suspicions. Kyoshi stopped herself mid sentence and bypassed Jinpa with Rangi following with a slight resistance. 

“We are going to see her” she said firmly, not ready to hear or speak of the possibility. Jinpa didn’t fight it, knowing this issue far out ranked whatever arbitrary duty he had to any of them. 

The two stepped in the tent immediately to be scolded “I said no visitors..” Ataut grumbled with healing water distilled across her palms, the girl was nowhere to be found. 

“We want to see the girl, and make sure she’s okay.” Kyoshi demanded. Ataut didn’t say anything. 

“Is she?” Kyoshi implored anxiously, Rangi had been awfully quiet. 

Ataut breathed in, “No,” She said blankly “She has got pneumonia in both her lungs and she’s beginning to draw a fever.” Ataut articulated in her usual unhopeful tone, “It’s getting worse.” 

“Well can’t we see her?” Kyoshi kept interjecting, not fully believing the dire nature of the situation. Ataut was about to argue when Rangi squeezed her arm again.

“Kyoshi I think we should go..” Rangi muttered sadly, her voice and tone barely discernible in grief. The lack of a domineering tone in her request hinted to Kyoshi that this would be their only choice. 

Ataut waited for Kyoshi’s reaction a moment before agreeing “I think you should too, I will have a better answer tomorrow.” she said, it might have been the nicest thing she could have told them. 

Kyoshi wanted to argue, but something in Rangi’s voice moved her to passivity. The two left, devastated. 

The two were alone behind the tent with little to say to one another, Rangi had tears streaming down her face that, with the absence of the short inhalation she did when she cried, it almost fell unnoticed. Kyoshi enfolded her, her hand holding the back of her head as she pressed her into her chest as instinctively as she did to the girl earlier that day. She could feel Rangi hold her breath, and use Kyoshi’s chest to scrub away the tears and devastation. She tried to push Kyoshi away after collecting herself, Kyoshi held her tightly a moment more, knowing the way Rangi never allowed herself that extra second she needed of weakness. 

Rangi hands grasped the fabric on Kyoshi’s back as she let herself stay in the embrace a moment too long, she parted, gripping Kyoshi’s wrist and walking swiftly away. Kyoshi let herself be led across the camp in the dark and back to their tent where Rangi finally let go, and in highly anxious fits of shaking hands and held breath, began taking her armor off and tossing it haphazardly to the floor. It had been so long since Kyoshi had seen her that upset. She reached out to Rangi’s forearm where she was struggling to undo the knot she had laced in earlier. She had the drawstring in between her teeth when she finally realized Kyoshi was there. She spit the drawstring out and shut her mouth as Kyoshi undid the lacingings the proper way. Rangi frowned and looked away, keeping her arm outstretched for Kyoshi to help her. 

She seemed far too upset for words, and Kyoshi wasn’t about to tear deeper into the obviously gushing new wound. The last guard for her forearm fell into Kyoshi’s hand, she placed it on its model, and turned to Rangi, in her undershirts who seemed from the looks of it to be pressing her tongue to the top of her mouth to hold back more tears. Kyoshi looked at her till she turned away, sat down and started to unlace her boots. 

“We can check on her tomorrow or later tonight, we don’t know anything yet.” Kyoshi said calmly, placing a hand on Rangi’s shoulder. 

Rangi paused “I know but It doesn’t look good, I have never seen Ataut unsure even with my mom she was so confident” Rangi said softly. 

Kyoshi squeezed her shoulder a little tighter as she sat down beside her, about an arms length away to give her some space, her hand still on her shoulder to remind her she was there. “I pulled through pneumonia about twice every winter growing up, and I didn’t need a world class healer.” Kyoshi tried to explain to give Rangi any sort of hope.

Rangi decided to ignore the gesture and go about the argument with logic. “But you had the avatar spirit in you.” She said blankly, “She doesn’t”

Kyoshi was running out of things to say, “Rangi I am worried about you.” 

Rangi looked at her hand and didn’t respond, she put her head against her knees and blinked slowly letting out an exasperated sigh, memories came rushing back to her of the last time she felt so hopeless. “I shouldn’t be upset, these things happen.” she said quietly, she brought her palms to her temples, her head was pounding. 

Kyoshi rubbed her against her back with her thumb, her eyes taking in Rangi sadness like somehow she could spare her from it. Rangi eventually untied herself from Kyoshi’s hold, “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” She said softly. Kyoshi was struck, Rangi rarely shut her out like this, 

“Rangi I don’t think we should give up on her just yet, I still think she will get better.” 

Kyoshi had hit a nerve, “I thought that about my father too.” Rangi said. The words were like a double edge sword drawn between them. They had avoided saying in many ways that girls' time was drawing a close, but the nearness of it, the familiarity to tragedy the two had grown accustomed to, snuffed out quickly that ember of hope they shared between them. Rangi looked down in shame at what she had said, “We can see how she is tomorrow..” she muttered as she laid her head on the bed mat. 

Kyoshi hardly had words to console her, settling for brushing the back of her hand against her hair. Rangi curled up tighter into the curled position she slept in and shut her eyes, without fail falling asleep in minutes, she didn’t even take the time to undo her hair. Kyoshi slipped the pins from her top knot and let her hair fall to the floor, placing them on her bedside. She sat up knowing she wouldn’t get much sleep tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little sad.


	5. A Conversation

Apologies would have to wait till tomorrow, laying down flat beside Rangi, Kyoshi tried to will her eyes to shut, but the thought wouldn’t cease. She turned back to Rangi, curled up in an aggressive sleep beside her, her knot still maintaining its shape without the pins. It always enamored her how the academy could train a sleep schedule that counteracted intrusive thoughts. Kyoshi felt horrible about what she was going to do, but there were little forces in the world that could stop her, and since it appeared that Rangi didn’t want to negotiate, she had to go alone. Rangi’s face slept in in a deep scowl, like she already knew Kyoshi lied to her, Kyoshi before rising gently raked her hand through Rangi’s hair to shake out the remaining tension of the top not, her hair fell within a single wave across her nape from the years of the same style. Kyoshi leaned in and brushed the back of her fingers against her temple before standing. 

Kyoshi padded quickly across the camp and into the only dimly lit tent in the middle of that night. The ceilings of the makeshift hospital were oddly high, and the empty spaces of the beds were alarming, to say the least. It was rare they had anyone here who would get better. That’s when she saw her there, lying lifeless across the hospital bed. Ataut sat at the foot of the bed with a comb and the young girl. She ran its course through the ends of her hair, the only movements from the girl being the twitches of her palm at the pain caused by tugging the comb across the tangled dead ends. 

Kyoshi struggled to find words, knowing that it was impossible that enough time could have passed to know fully what her odds were, the nurse looked up at her, “She’s malnourished, dehydrated and her lungs aren’t recovering as fast as they need to be. It’s not good, If she won’t sleep or eat she won’t make it” Ataut said without even looking up as if she knew Kyoshi would not be able to ask without breaking down. 

“Can’t we find medicine or use a healing method?” she pleaded, walking closer, crouching by the girl's face, her eyes half-shut in sickly exhaustion. Ataut took the comb from her hair and turned fully towards her. 

“It's not always like that Kyoshi,” she said putting a hand on her shoulder, “I know that it's hard, not being able to do anything, but it's best not to get too attached,” she said softly. 

Tears began to stream down Kyoshi’s face for this child she didn’t even know the name of, She wanted to scream at Ataut, fire her right there for such a stabbing and grotesque thing to say to the avatar. Instead, she pressed her head to the side of the orphan’s bed frame and gritted her teeth till they hurt before Ataut took the comb and placed it in her hand. 

“I am assuming you will be staying here a while, maybe try and get the lice out of her hair before it spreads to the whole camp,” she said patting her hand over hers. Kyoshi nodded and dismissed her. As Ataut left she paused, remembering a question she had wanted to ask

“You and your Wife, You both have skin like you’re still in your twenties. How do you do that?'' She remarked. It was more than inappropriate for the setting. 

“It's a family secret,” Kyoshi replied bitterly. Ataut shrugged and left, leaving Kyoshi with the child, both thankful and terrified to be alone with the girl. Kyoshi sat on the bed and picked up the girl onto her lap. She leaned her head against her arm and began to work.

Ataut had been doing it all wrong in her opinion. Kyoshi learned from many aggravating and itching springs that lice lived and thrived at roots. She moved her thumb against the girl's cheek and very gently parted a section of her hair before pressing the comb into the mess. Hundreds of white dots crawled across it to be trapped against her thumb, making their claim on the girl while she was still here. She discarded the hundreds on specs to a nearby bucket with a thin layer of oil to trap them and went again, repeating the seemingly fruitless process. The only thing reminding Kyoshi she was with her was the feeling of a strained exhales against her sleeve. She couldn’t feel any strength on the breaths that went inward. 

The girl groaned into her arm and shifted, the action like most things this girl did, taking her back to the days she lived as an orphan. She could recall the many times Kelsang picked lice from her head and the absolute scandal of bringing such a vile pest into the palace. She remembered grabbing her hair and trying not to sob as Kelsang combed the masses out, always balancing her away from the point of no return she always heard of where her hair would simply have to be cut to match his to fully discard of them. She couldn’t imagine the humiliation the other kids would inflict on her, but he always got them out before it came to that. 

Alone with the girl, a new wave of hopeless came over her. Compassion for the lost cause felt like a poison rushing through her throat. The bugs were already digging into her scalp. Tears filled her eyes and dripped on the comb as she continued, it hurt too much, she had to look away for a moment, “Spirits Help me” she muttered as she turned her head away, still feeling the nearly weightless girl on her lap. 

“I thought I would find you here,” Rangi said standing in the doorway. Kyoshi was too stricken by her grief to have noticed her enter. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked, a slight resentment in her voice for the hopelessness Rangi had displayed earlier, she was sure Rangi had already buried any lingering compassion. 

“Making sure you are doing okay,” she said quietly, taking a few steps closer to her. Kyoshi didn’t respond and went back to taking lice out of her hair. She tried her best to focus on the task at hand but her mind ran wild with all the things she wanted to disparage Rangi with for wanting to brush off the girls life. Originally she wanted to be understanding but sitting here holding her, it was too much to be alone with her and she needed her with her. “And I want to apologize, I don’t think that I have been honest with myself and with you,” she said. Kyoshi’s mind halted for a moment. 

“I am sorry for making you feel alone through all of this, I shouldn’t have been so hopeless and put it all on you to be strong.” she started, taking a seat at the foot of the hospital bed. Rangi placed a hand on the girl's ankle.

“I thought I could get by without hurting If I didn’t talk about it but..” she paused and turned away, her throat back with tears just for a moment, before meeting Kyoshi’s eyes, 

“When I saw you walking out with her in your arms, I felt about her the same way I felt falling in love with you, Something inside me told me she belongs to me, I knew somehow she was ours and I didn’t understand that’s what it was before now,” she said softly “And now we are losing her,” Rangi explained gripping the sheets with her hand, she pressed her own palm to her cheek to wipe her tears 

Kyoshi clung to the words, held on to them like they were the only things Rangi would ever say to her. The walls she put up around her and the child in her hands fell at once, Rangi wanted her too. Despite the ugly tears, she couldn’t stop the flow of, there was a new glow around Rangi she hadn’t been able to see before, she waited anxiously for Kyoshi to respond. 

“You really mean that?” she asked Holding the child tighter. Rangi reached over for Kyoshi’s hand, her palms trembling 

“For however much longer she is with us, I want her to be ours,” Rangi replied.

Kyoshi wanted to pull her in as tight as she could and sob with joy and against all at the same time, but with the delicate girl nested on her lap, she settled for a tight squeeze of her wife’s hand, “Then we aren’t going to lose her.” she stated, only fully believing the words when she heard them come out of her mouth.

Rangi blankly stared at her, “What do you mean?” she replied. 

“She’s ours and we aren’t going to lose her,” Kyoshi repeated. Rangi's face shifted between despair and hope, looking at the girl cradled in Kyoshi’s arms and back to her face. 

“What do we need to do?” Rangi said immediately and with more ferocity then she had said anything before in her life. 

Kyoshi took time to think of her words “We need to wait” Kyoshi replied “See if she still has that fighting spirit left, but she is so tired and I don’t think she can sleep with the lice crawling all over her” 

“I couldn’t sleep when I had lice either,” Rangi said, the confession shocked Kyoshi to her core. Rangi shifted beside Kyoshi, took the tie from her sleeve and pulled her wife's hair back tighter, then rested the girl’s legs and feet on her lap. 

“You had lice?” she asked as if the confession took all the magnitude away from the situation 

“There were outbreaks all the time at the academy, A bunch of well-washed royal hair and teenage girls, why else did you think my hair couldn’t come past my shoulders?” she replied. Kyoshi was still enamored, the smallest creatures of this planet would claim the rich and poor of all the nation’s someday. Rangi began running her bare fingers through the girl's head, searing the bugs as if they were drawn to the smallest sparks she had ever seen Rangi create, little fumes of a foul odor made Kyoshi’s nose twitch. “This was my mom’s method,” she said softly, taking the comb and checking spots she might have missed while removing the ashes of the vile creatures. 

What would have taken Kyoshi hours took Rangi minutes, the girl's head was clean and she laid there half-awake, resting across Kyoshi’s chest. Kyoshi rubbed the girls back and felt Rangi’s head lean against her shoulder. Little hands gripped Kyoshi’s forearm and her back expanded with a deep breath in and a series of exasperated coughs on the way out, she shook with a chill and stirred, moving more than either of them had seen in day’s. All of a sudden she was frigid and shivered like it was the dead of winter. Rangi immediately reached out for her, taking her in her arms between Kyoshi and pressing her tightly to her chest. “What are you doing?” Kyoshi said worried,

“She’s cold, and this is what I can do,” Rangi replied, breathing deeply, a great heat radiated off of herself. Rangi concentrated on the shivering child who still restlessly twitched and shook. Kyoshi gathered behind Rangi and placed her bare hand to the girls face, rubbing her temple and cheek with her thumb and forefinger, she let out one last sigh and left the half-awake state she had been in for days, falling asleep immediately between the two of them. The impossible task was completed, and they had done it together. 

“I think our girl is going to be alright,” Rangi said to Kyoshi, with a glimmer of hope in her voice, maybe from just holding her in her arms for the first time. Kyoshi adjusted her grip on their girl just enough they could see her face. There was just enough courage between them for each other to smile at her.

“Our daughter is going to be fine, ” she replied. 

The world stopped at the words that slipped out of her mouth. Rangi heard them and looked to their child and back to her wife, realizing for the first time they had added their own daughter to the family. Kyoshi recognized the glow, Rangi looked like she did the first time she told her she loved her. She grabbed Kyoshi by the face and kissed her, feeling a flows of overwhelmed tears fall down her face and off her chin. When they parted and Rangi was nearly hysterical 

“We have a daughter,” she said with a smile despite her choking on every word, trying desperately to whisper without being able to contain her excitement. 

Something deep within Kyoshi stirred, bringing her arm around Rangi and pulling her into a kiss on her forehead “We do mom.” she replied, taking her and the girl closer. Rangi pressed her head against Kyoshi's chest. The two of them, unable to disturb the girl's slumber, fell in and out of sleep through the night, every stir from the girl making their hearts reset and beat together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lice talk. Also the thing that Rangi says is very true. I went to an all girls High-school, lice was the class pet.


	6. The Family Name

Kyoshi and Rangi were awake before the dawn the next morning, the girl's chest rose and fell like a lake's tide, steady, and reassuring. Every now and then she would make a soft humming like noise as she slept. The fox too had made its way into the tent, and slept at the foot of the bed on guard. The girl's hand remained wrapped around the finger of the palm Kyoshi kept pressed to her back. Rangi turned her bronze eyes to Kyoshi, “Do you think she knows us?” Rangi asked softly. 

“Like our names?” She asked Rangi softly. 

“No, like does she know that we are both going to be her mom,” she asked softly. 

Kyoshi took a look at the girl's face, no part of the girl gave her the hint she didn’t trust her, that she was somehow unwilling to be loved and cherish by the two of them. “I think she does,” Kyoshi replied as she looked back at Rangi. 

Rangi shifted and placed her head to Kyoshi’s shoulder, she delicately wrapped her hand around the girl's other hand, whose small fingers gave her a reassuring and sleepy hold back. 

“Kyoshi.” She stated, 

“Yes?” Kyoshi asked again.

“That's what I want to call her, I want to name her Kyoshi, after you,” Rangi said blankly. Kyoshi's cheeks turned a light rose color, not knowing how to respond to the sentiment of Rangi loving her so much to give their daughter her name. Kyoshi wanted to move to touch Rangi's face, but her hands remained with the girl.

“Rangi, I-“ she began, too stunned to speak. 

“It’s alright,” she said as she saw the bit of hesitation in Kyoshi’s cheeks ”We can call her Koko for short."

“Koko.” Kyoshi muttered softly to the girl. Like it had always been her name, she woke up for a moment with a stirring that Rangi quickly coaxed back into sleep by running a hand over her cheek and humming softly. Rangi smiled at her daughter with a kind of love Kyoshi had never seen in her before. 

“See, she already knows it,” Rangi said softly, not looking for Kyoshi’s response. 

Kyoshi waited a few moments and turned with Rangi to Koko without words, both of them letting a part of their spirit drift from their chest onto their daughter, uniting them forever. 

“Koko,” Kyoshi replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Koko being a knick name Kyoshi is a head cannon, I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you thought if you made it to the end. I apologize for any typos I really don't have an excuse I am just bad at proofreading. Expect childhood stories in other works. Thanks for reading!


End file.
